All Business and productivity

The Bottom Line: With its slick new look and powerful set of bookkeeping tools, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2007 is a fine upgrade for longtime users, especially for small shops that need to manage inventory.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3, 1 GHz, CD-ROM, SVGA monitor, Internet connection, 1 GHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 6.0, Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1

The Bottom Line: With its slick new look and powerful set of bookkeeping tools, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2007 is a fine upgrade for longtime users, especially for small shops that need to manage inventory.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3, 1 GHz, CD-ROM, SVGA monitor, Internet connection, 1 GHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 6.0, Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1

The Bottom Line: With improved data-export tools, beginner-friendly templates, and support for massive files, FileMaker Pro 8 is a great choice for novice or professional users who need to develop powerful databases.

Specs: Complete package, 500 MHz Intel Pentium III, PowerPC G3, 8.0, CD-RW drive, DVD-ROM drive, Monitor, 500 MHz Intel Pentium III, PowerPC G3

The Bottom Line: ViaVoice is an affordable, if buggy, program for basic speech-to-text dictation. To avoid using your hands, however, we recommend the Windows-only Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Apple MacOS X 10.1, 600 MB, PowerPC G3 300 MHz, 192 MB, 3, CD-ROM, USB port, Sound card, PowerPC G3, 300 MHz, MacOS

The Bottom Line: ViaVoice is an affordable, if buggy, program for basic speech-to-text dictation. To avoid using your hands, however, we recommend the Windows-only Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP6, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional SP2, 510 MB, Pentium III 600 MHz, 192 MB, 10, USB port, 4x CD-ROM, Pentium III, 600 MHz, Windows

The Bottom Line: ViaVoice is an affordable, if buggy, program for basic speech-to-text dictation. To avoid using your hands, however, we recommend the Windows-only Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 500 MB, Intel Pentium 266 MHz, 192 MB, 10, 4x CD-ROM, Sound card, Intel Pentium, 266 MHz, Windows

The Bottom Line: ViaVoice is an affordable, if buggy, program for basic speech-to-text dictation. To avoid using your hands, however, we recommend the Windows-only Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 510 MB, Intel Pentium 300 MHz, 192 MB, 10, 4x CD-ROM, Sound card, Intel Pentium, 300 MHz, Windows

The Bottom Line: Overall, Apple iWork '06 is a compelling package, though mostly due to Keynote 3. Keynote 3 is a better tool than PowerPoint, and Pages 2 offers some intriguing new features, though professional users will still yearn for Adobe FrameMaker.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Apple MacOS X 10.3.9, Apple MacOS X 10.4.3, 500 MHz, DVD-ROM, 500 MHz, MacOS

The Bottom Line: Although it's pricey, Microsoft's PowerPoint 2003 is still the reigning champion of presentation software. You'll get a wealth of customization options, though not when it comes to export formats.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3 or later, 233 MHz, CD-ROM, SVGA monitor, Mouse or compatible device, 233 MHz, Windows

The Bottom Line: If you don't mind standard versions of popular programs, Microsoft Works Suite 2006 is a time-saver for basic home-computing tasks such as organizing photos, budgeting, getting travel directions, and word processing.

Specs: 1 user, License and media, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, 700 MHz Intel Pentium, 700 MHz, Modem, Speaker(s), 4x CD-ROM, Sound card, SVGA monitor, Mouse or compatible device, SVGA graphics card with 4MB of memory, 700 MHz Intel Pentium, 700 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 6.0